PSweet, what in those photos do you see to pos ID the Cooper's? It was my guess too, but just a guess.

I eliminated RT and RS and came to Cooper's or Sharpie due to tail length, and while the hawk does look greyish back and head, that's as far as I got with those last two things uncertain. Trying to learn:)

The legs are what made me think sharp. The bird standing on the ground was taken first (through snowy windshield. I watched it fly to a tree and then drove as close to the tree as I could for the second photo.

I'd be careful using that thin leg character from a single photo. These guys have laterally compressed tarsi and both species can look very thin, depending on the angle. Additionally, it's a rather relative/subjective character if you don't have another bird to compare it against. I agree with Cooper's Hawk for this bird.

Tarsi refer to the lower part of a bird's leg (which is actually analogous to the long bones in our feet). Laterally compressed means that they are thinner from left to right than they are front to back. In a photo like this, I would also be careful using that feature because it's common for a white background to bleed around a thin object like a bird's leg, which will make it look thinner.

Tarsi refer to the lower part of a bird's leg (which is actually analogous to the long bones in our feet). Laterally compressed means that they are thinner from left to right than they are front to back. In a photo like this, I would also be careful using that feature because it's common for a white background to bleed around a thin object like a bird's leg, which will make it look thinner.

Tarsi refer to the lower part of a bird's leg (which is actually analogous to the long bones in our feet). Laterally compressed means that they are thinner from left to right than they are front to back. In a photo like this, I would also be careful using that feature because it's common for a white background to bleed around a thin object like a bird's leg, which will make it look thinner.

Thank heavens I took a year of zoology years ago:) I still remember a lot of it and while it's different in birds than mammals, a lot is similar. It really helps.